PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING
Every child in Indiana deserves access to a great public education, no matter their ZIP code, family income, or background. Over the past decade, too much of our education funding has moved away from public schools and been redirected to private and voucher-based programs, many of them affiliated with religious institutions.
Public dollars should serve the public good. When we underfund our local schools, we undermine our teachers, hurt our students, and weaken our communities. We are seeing growing class sizes, fewer resources for special education, and districts forced to rely on referendums just to cover the basics.
Here is the path forward:
• Fully fund our public schools first. Private and voucher programs should never take priority over the system that serves the vast majority of Hoosier children.
• Raise teacher pay and restore respect for the teaching profession. Teachers are the backbone of every community, and they deserve more than words—they deserve real investment.
• Support rural and small-town schools. Many of our rural districts are losing students and resources because state funding formulas do not reflect their reality.
Strong public schools mean strong communities. It is time to put our money where it belongs—back into Indiana classrooms.
Further Reading:
• “Indiana private school voucher spending tops $497 million” – Indiana Capital Chronicle (2025)
https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/07/01/indiana-private-school-voucher-spending-tops-497m-as-enrollment-slows
• “Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program explained” – WFYI
https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indiana-private-school-voucher-program-choice-scholarship-report
• “Proposed bill would shift more dollars from traditional publics to charters” – Indiana Capital Chronicle
https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/02/21/indiana-bill-to-shift-more-dollars-from-traditional-publics-to-charter-schools-earns-senate-approval
• “Study finds no measurable effect on student achievement from Indiana’s voucher program” – Cato Institute
https://www.cato.org/research-briefs-economic-policy/effect-indiana-choice-scholarship-program-public-school-students